Curtain fixture



Oct. 3, 1939. P. G. EMI-:RY

CURTAIN FIXTURE Filed Aug. 2, 1957 Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES Vifi-',KTENT OFFICE The present invention relates particularly to shade sticks of the general type used on shades vin passenger car windows. and has for its object to improve the same.

It is important that there be no rattling of the shade sticks of curtains for the windows in the modern, silent running streamlined cars. This end can be best attained by providing the shade stick shoes with sound-deadening inserts which make the actual contacts with the window frames. The usual sound-deadening materials must be replaced from time to time, as wear occurs. One of the objects of the present invention is to make provision for the easy removal and replacement of these inserts, while insuring against accidental displacement thereof.

In the usual type of shade stick the two shoes at the ends thereof are connected to a pair of finger pieces at the middle of the stick proper by pull rods screwed into hubs on the finger pieces. The shoes are usually xed to the pull rods so that, at times when a shade stick is not engaged with a window frame, any turning of either shoe changes the overall length of the stick and, when the stick is applied to a window frame, the springs therein may not be compressed sufficiently or they may be under a greater compression than is desirable. One of the objects of the present invention is so to connect a shoe with its pull rod thatY the shoe may be rotated freely without turning the rod or in any way interfering with the adjustment of the stick as a whole, while permitting the shoe to be employed to turn the pull rod when necessary.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed vdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of a shade stick A embodying the present invention, a portion of the tubular body being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a view illustrating one of the shoes in central longitudinal section and the corresponding pull rod in elevation, while the finger piece on the pull rod is also shown in section; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a fragment of one of the shoes operatively engaged in a groove in a window frame, indicated more or less diagrammatically; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, showing the shoe locked to its -pull rod so that the two must turn in unison with each other. v

Referring to the drawing, I represents the tubular bodyV member of a shade stick having at the center a pair of nger pieces 2, 2 having 5 parts thereof extending through a slot 3 in the stick and provided at their inner ends with elongated hubs 4 that are internally screw threaded. At'each end of the stick is a shoe 5 which may conveniently be in the form of a channel, that is, U-shaped in cross section, so as to provide a deep slot extending through the length thereof `and opening out through the long outer edge face. f Each shoe is mounted on the outer end of a pull rod E having at the inner end a screw threaded section 'l adapted to be screwed into the hub of the corresponding finger piece.

In accordance with the present invention, the slot or channel of each shoe contains an insert 8 of sound-deadening material of any suitable 20 type. I have found rubber to be a satisfactory material for this purpose. The insert preferably projects beyond both ends of the shoe and beyond the outer edge so that no part of the metal of the shoe will contact the windowsill or the bottom of the groove in which the shoe runs. Furthermore, that part 9l of the insert projecting beyond the long outer edge of the shoe is preferably made somewhat wider than the thickness of the shoe, so that the metal of the shoe does not engage with the walls bounding the groove at the side. This is shown in Fig. 3 wherein A represents a vertical side member of a window frame and B a vertical groove in the member A. VThepart B of the insert 8 is only sufficiently 35 narrower than the width of the groove to avoid binding against the sides of the groove when the pressure on the shoe-is released prior to moving the curtain up or down.

If the insert be simply frictionally held in the shoe, fitmay work loose; whereas, if it be permanently fastened, replacement thereof is diicult. In accordance with my invention, I secure the advantages of a permanent fastening and also of one that is loose, without retaining the disadvantages of either type. To this end, theinsert is held in place by a number of pins or rivets I0 xed to the shoe and passing through that part of the insert lying within the slot or channel in the shoe. Thus, the insert is firmly held in place. In order to permit the easy removal of the insert by a workman, as distinguished from accidental displacement, I slit the body member of the insert from each pin hole clear to the rear edge. When the insert is in position, the slits are closed -Lii and the pins or rivets serve to hold the insert securely in place. However, a workman can readily manipulate the insert so as to pry it loose, by progressively distorting it from one end to the other so as to cause one slit after the other to open far enough to allow the corresponding pin or rivet to pass along the same. As long as each slit runs from one of the holes to the rear edge, its specific direction is not important. Thus, in the arrangement shown, two of the slits II are more or less diagonal while the other two, indicated at I2, are at right angles to the long axes of the shoe.

In carrying out the second feature of my invention, I provide each shoe with a long xed stem I3 through which the pull rod 6 extends. The stem is provided with a cylindrical bore I4 which receives a cylindrical portion I5 of the pull rod, and, at its free or inner end, with an enlarged cylindrical bore I6 into which a part of the square body portion of the pull rod may extend. The part I5 of the pull rod is somewhat longer than that part of the stem I3 containing the bore I4. Therefore, when the square portion of the rod bottoms in the counter-bore I6, the free end of the part I5 of the rod projects beyond the outer end of the stem I3. On the free end of the part I5 is a head I'I that prevents the shoe from being pulled olf the rod. It will thus be seen that the shoe has a limited lengthwise movemrent on the pull rod and, at the' same time, is freely rotatable thereon. I make use of this capacity for limited endwise movement to provide for temporarily locking the shoe to the rod so that it may be employed as a handle for turning the rod and thus screwing it into or out of its linger piece. In the arrangement shown, that part of the pull rod that extends outwardly into the shoe proper is provided with a hole I8 extending diametrically through the same. The shoe is provided with axially aligned holes I9 in such position that when the rod and shoe are at one limit of their relative lengthwise movement, the hole IB registers with the holes I9 and a nail, pin or other implement C may be inserted through these holes, as shown in Fig. 6, thereby temporarily locking the shoeand its pull rod together,

It will thus be seen that while normally the shoes on the ends of the shade stick may be rotated indefinitely, the adjustments of the pull rods will not be effected thereby. However, when it is desiredto make an adjustment, the workman needs only bring about a temporary locking of a shoe with its pull rod in order to consummate the adjustment. With this arrangement, the proper adjustment having once been made, no accidental maladjustment can occur.

The locations of the holes I8 and I9 are shown as being such that these holes do not register with each other except when the shoes are pulled outwardly on their pull rods. In the actual use of my improved fixture the shoes are at the inner movements relatively to the movements of the pull rods when the xture is mounted in a window frame. Therefore, the shoes cannot be locked to their pull rods until the pressure thereon has been released so as to permit the shoes to be pulled outwardly. While this is a protection against tampering, the holes may of course be placed so that they will register with each other at any other point in the limited lengthwise movement of a'shoe on its rod.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact materials or structural details thus illustrated and described, but intend to include all materials and constructions coming within the definitions constituting the appended claims. For example, although I prefer to employ for the insert a material which is both elastic and flexible, any sound deadening material that is flexible may be employed. Also, there is a wide choice with respect to the locations and character of the pin-receiving holes for temporarily locking the shoe to the pull rod.

I claim:

1. In a curtain fixture, a shoe having a long stem fixed thereto and projecting at right angles therefrom at one long edge thereof, a pull rod extending lengthwise through said stem and into the shoe, a shoulder on the pull rod to prevent the removal of the shoe while permitting it to rotate freely upon the rod, the shoe and the rod having therein holes adapted to register with each other and receive a pin or the like `in a predetermined angular position of the shoe relative to the rod, whereby the shoe may normally be rotated on the rod and at other times be locked thereto and thus cause a turning movement thereof to be imparted to the rod.

2. In a curtain xture, a shoe, a pull rod journalled in said shoe and having a limited lengthwise movement relatively thereto, said shoe and said rod having holes radial to the rod extending through the same and adapted to receive a pin or the like temporarily to lock the shoe and rod against relative movements when the holes are in registration with each other. f

3. In a curtain fixture, a pull rod, a shoe mounted on one end of the rod so as to have a limited movement lengthwise of and be freely rotatable on the rod, the rod and the shoe having pin-receiving holes adapted to register with each other when the shoe is moved along the rod to its outer limit and is turned into a predetermined angular position relatively to the rod, whereby the shoe may normally turn freely on the rod or be temporarily locked thereto by inserting a pin or the like in said holes.

PLATO G. EMERY. 

